‘My Death is Near, So Will Quit Active Public Life’: Ex-Underworld Don Muthappa Rai Emotionally Briefing Media
Mangaluru: Couple of days ago, Former underworld don and social activist Muthappa Rai hinted at retirement from active social life. Clarifying on the multiple rumours on his health conditions, Muthappa Rai told media persons in Bidadi ( Bidadi is a town where Rai resides, is situated on the Bengaluru – Mysuru expressway and is part of the Ramanagara district in the state of Karnataka) that he was diagnosed with brain cancer but has been miraculously living on will power…
Sharing details on his health conditions Muthappa Rai had said, “A year ago I experienced intense back pain and tests confirmed liver cancer. Later, I underwent treatment for cancer at hospitals in New Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru. Doctors told me that I have recovered 90 per cent. However, I was again diagnosed with brain cancer and doctors briefed me that I will only live for a few years and decided to return to Bidadi.”
Appeared to be unperturbed by his health conditions Muthappa Rai had said, “I am 68-years-old now. I survived even after being hit with five bullets. I am not afraid of death and living entirely on will power. I will continue my social service.” Adding further Rai revealed that he has completed all the legal procedures pertaining to his property. “I have not cheated the government on my taxes, every year I pay Rs 25-30 crores in property taxes. I have already prepared a legal will pertaining to my property and the same has been communicated to my children. I have also told them to give a residential plot to my associates who have been living with me for 15-20 years,” he had explained.
Choosing to retire from an active social and philanthropic life Rai revealed that he has already resigned from Jaya Karantaka organization in which he was the founder president. “I have resigned for the post of President, Karnataka Athletics Association and I have also appointed a new president to the Jaya Karnataka organization,” he explained.
ABOUT MUTHAPPA RAI :
Nettala Muthappa Rai (known as Muthappa Rai) is an Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and also a former Underworld Don and currently a social activist based in Bengaluru, resides in Bidadi. Muthappa Rai was born in Puttur, Karnataka, into a Tulu-speaking Bunt family of Nettala Narayana Rai and Susheela Rai. He is married to Rekha and has two sons Rakhi and Rikki. His wife Rekha died at Mt Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore in 2013. Rai made his appearance in a Tulu movie Kanchilda Baale in 2011
He is the founder of Jaya Karnataka a not-for-profit organisation that aims at improving the quality of life of the people of Karnataka. In 2018, the one-time don had appeared before officials from the Organised Crime Wing in Bengaluru after a video of his family performing a puja in front of a cache of arms and weapons on the occasion of Ayudha Puja went viral on social media. At one point of time, filmmaker Ramgopal Varma was interested in making a biopic on Rai. After meeting Rai for almost three hours in 2015, RGV had termed it, “a most amazing meeting” that gave him “a most fascinating understanding of the Bengaluru underworld.” Varma had even thought of a name for the film. “The name of my film on the Bangalore Underworld is going to be Appa and the tagline of is going to be -The Father of all Godfathers,” he had tweeted then. The film is shot in Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Dubai and London.
Rai was involved in carious crimes while he was a underground Don-The Karnataka police had issued warrants of arrest against Rai in eight cases under Sections 302 (murder) and 120B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act. The murder of a realtor, Subbaraju, in January 2001 by hired killers from Mumbai following a dispute over a prime property in Bengaluru.
In 2002, Rai was deported to India from U.A.E. by the Dubai police, and was subsequently Interrogated by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Intelligence Bureau (I.B.), and by the Karnataka police. Due to lack of substantial information on his career in crime, for allegedly operating extortion rackets, helping property developers, take possession of land in prime localities and collected ‘protection money’ from business houses in Karnataka, through his links with Dawood Ibrahim, and he was later acquitted.
